Band of Brothers
by Skye1963
Summary: Have you ever wondered why Lucifer was so insistant that Sam Winchester was his Vessel. Why Sam was targeted by some Angels? This story attempts to answer that question. Warning: mentions m/m sex, torture-nothing is explicit. Language warning. season five spoilers. AU Sam/Dean, Cas/OC, OC/OC


_This story is different from anything I've ever done before. I hope you enjoy reading it!_

_A big thanks to my wonderful beta-Daiyu Amaya_

Have you ever wondered why Sam Winchester was the vessel of Lucifer? This is my answer to that question. Takes place in season 5 with a different ending to the season.

To avoid any confusion about the names, I've listed the ones whose names change-

Dean-Diniel

Sam-Chamuel

Jerry-Jophiel

Roger-Ramiel

Band of Brothers

Prologue

Sam packed his duffle when Dean was at the bar, either picking up his mattress for the night or hustling pool he wasn't sure. After everything that was going on, Sam couldn't find it in himself to care anymore.

The fact was his life wasn't going down the tubes…it already was on the bottom of the damn things. And he was tired of it. Tired of being blamed for everything, tired of being ignored, tired of all of it. After some serious consideration, he decided to leave Dean, Bobby and Castiel to their mission of saving the Earth. Besides, according to everyone, he was just a liability these days. They were all waiting until the next time he messed up and drank demon blood or did something so stupid as to let Lucifer loose. Oh, wait, he already did that.

Sam looked at the clock and seeing that it was only 11:00, knew he had lots of time before Dean came back to the room. That is, if he did. Sam took his duffle and looked around for anything he missed before going out the door. He left his ID's, credit cards and cell phone. He didn't want to be found where ever he ended up. Not that anyone really cared.

Chapter One-Eighteen Months Later

Roger watched his friend dance. The guy was like water on the stage, his movements were so liquid. If he thought he had a chance with Leo he would have hit on him ages ago. But Leo already made it clear he wasn't into any kind of relationship, gay or not. Roger could respect that so he kept his yearnings to himself. Still, he dared anyone watching Leo dance not to get horny. Then again, there was Sam. Another one who was mouthwatering but again not interested. What made the cute ones hate relationships? Roger didn't know.

Roger's boyfriend was the next up to dance. His sinuous movements made Roger want to drag him off the stage and screw him into the floor but they needed the money to make the rent for the month. Besides, Jerry would never forgive him. He wasn't into exhibitionism and that, in Roger's opinion, was really too bad. Oh well, what one does for love.

Sam came in and stood behind Roger and watched Jerry dance. He had seen this before and still liked watching the man. "Hey Roger, is he almost done?"

Roger jumped a bit. Sam was silent in his step and could always sneak up on him. "Um, yeah. How was your day?"

"It was okay, I guess. A couple of ladies needed some help with their yards and Mr. Breton of 6G had to be helped taking a bath. You know, the usual," was the reply.

"I bet that those older ladies took one look at you and decided you needed to fed, huh?" teased Roger.

Sam blushed because that's exactly what happened. Mrs. Jenkins made him a large lunch and Mrs. Bettony made him take home enough food to feed a small army. Of course, Mr. Breton had slipped a couple of bills in his bag before he left. For some reason, these people really liked him and had adopted him as the grandson they never saw. Sam was uncomfortable with their devotion. He didn't believe he deserved it. Roger knew that but kept his silence. Roger had known about Sam's good heart the moment they met during a werewolf hunt.

Roger and Jerry got word that a werewolf was killing people in a town fifty miles away and went to investigate. The damned thing had slashed Jerry and was going to bite Roger when Sam found them and shot the monster. He salted and burned the corpse after treating Jerry for the slashes and Roger for his concussion. The three decided to hunt together after that, safety in numbers and all that. Soon, Leo joined their group.

They all had their secrets but decided that they needed to share with the group. Roger revealed that when he was young, he summoned a demon to kill his father since the man had beaten his brother badly. When the demon had demanded his soul in return, Roger said no then took care of the problem himself. His father's body had never been found. Jerry had been a prostitute. It was the only way to keep his family going but when they found out about his profession, they turned against him. He got pissed and torched their house down. Luckily they were gone at the time. Leo was raped by his grandfather. When he was eighteen, he went back to visit the old man and made sure the bastard could never hurt another child again.

Sam was scared but he told his friends everything. The deal his brother made, the blood drinking so he could be strong enough to kill Lilith, the release of Lucifer from his cage and everything else. When he was done, he kept his eyes on the floor. He couldn't meet his friends' eyes and see the hatred in them. Then he felt a touch on his arm and he looked up in Leo's eyes. "Hey, from what it sounds like you didn't have all the information to make an informed choice. Not your fault, not really if you think about it. Sam, you have this thing where you shoulder the blame for an awful lot and that's not good for you. We all have done things we regret but you do take it to a new level. I am not one to condemn you. Remember the passage in the Bible, 'Let he who hath no sin cast the first stone.' As far as I can tell, you are a sinner, so stop throwing those stones brother."

The other two nodded their agreement and nothing else was said for the rest of the night. Sam found that his new friends didn't hate him or pull back from him. On the contrary, they were supportive and got him some help with a priest friend of theirs who worked with hunters. Father Vincent was kind and also non-condemning of the young man. He also agreed that since Sam didn't have all the facts (and most of the facts he did have were skewed), Sam wasn't to be held responsible for most of his actions. Vincent helped Samuel realize which his sins were and which were not. Samuel started to forgive himself.

Vincent liked the four young men a lot. They were funny, caring, loving, damaged and dangerous. Vincent started to slowly get them into the Church and under it's protection. Even though they had some issues (Roger and Jerry a gay couple was definitely one), after six months of meeting with Vincent, the four joined the Church. Since Vincent was going to be their sponsor, he asked his Bishop to do the Baptisms, First Communions, and Confirmations. In this way, Vincent became the young men's father and they became brothers. The Bishop came to love them so he insisted on being grandfather to them.

As Jerry's set ended, Roger turned and gave Sam a chaste kiss on his cheek then he went in search for his boyfriend. Sam smiled sadly. The last "relationship" he was in was with Ruby and ever since then, he was afraid to get too close to another person. But somehow Jerry, Roger, Leo and Vincent breached his defenses and became close.

"Samuel, you're thinking too much," came the growly voice of Leo. Sam turned and saw his brother standing very close to him.

"Dude, personal space," was his reply.

Leo grinned and just moved in closer. To tell the truth, Sam wasn't that upset about being crowded. Actually, Sam needed the closeness his brothers gave him. He craved it worse than when he craved the demon blood and his brothers knew it.

"Why don't you do something about it?" Leo laughed.

Sam gave into the moment and gave Leo a kiss. Leo smiled and gave one back. Even though he had been raped by a man, he never minded the times that Sam let his guard down to give kisses and hugs. Leo knew that the rejection Sam had felt with his family left the young hunter needy and raw. Leo just stepped into the big brother role effortlessly and gave Sam what he needed in order to feel human.

Roger and Jerry walked up to the duo and smiled. Then Roger cracked, "Awww isn't that cute!"

Sam blushed as Leo flipped Roger off. Then Jerry asked, "Everyone ready to go? Leo did you pick up your check?"

Leo answered, "Yup. And I can't wait to have a few days off. Didn't Vincent say something about a demon infestation in the next state? Cuz I'll tell you I need something to do other than have pervs stick dollar bills in my G-string!"

Laughter rang out in the night as the four left the club and went home.

Chapter Two-Reunited And It Feels So Good?

Bobby sighed as he watched Dean pace around, wearing a hole in his floor. He was tempted to hit the man or at least drug his coffee but the last time he did that, Dean disappeared for three months. It took Castiel finding him to get him home that time. Ever since Sam left, Dean had been on a self-destructive cycle. Bobby wasn't doing too good himself and he knew that Castiel was also blaming himself for the young hunter's leaving. They all had a hand in the reason why he left and it was killing them to not be able to make it up to Sam.

Bobby asked Ellen to put out the word to any hunter she knew that Sam was missing and they needed help finding him. Bobby did the same on his end but so far there was no sighting. Castiel was listening to all the prayers that were being said. Sam prayed they knew but so far Castiel hadn't heard anything. He did say, though, the Enochian sigils may even be hiding the prayers but the other hunters knew that wasn't the case. Especially when Dean prayed to him and Castiel responded.

Every Supernatural creature they ran across was put through Dean's "interrogations" for any information on Sam. It was a werewolf who gave them the first clue that Sam was alive and still hunting. It said that Sam killed it's mate who had cornered a couple of men. It tried to go after the hunter but the other men prevented it from doing so but shooting at it with silver bullets. Another clue came from a vampire who said that Sam and three other men cleaned out her nest. She was lucky that she had gotten out of the area before the hunters came there. The final clue was from a demon who said that Lucifer was pissed. Somehow, Sam got his name off of Lucifer's preferred vessels list and Lucifer was taking his ire out on any demon or angel he could get his hands on. Zachariah was unlucky and got too close to the Morning Star. His wings now decorated the deepest part of Hell along with Uriel's.

So they knew that Sam was alive and still hunting but it didn't help with the fact he wasn't there with them. Dean took jobs to keep his mind off his little brother but even that wasn't helping. In fact, Dean was a bit too reckless and was getting injured on every job so Bobby made him promise to take Cas with him when he was hunting. Bobby threatened to lock the younger hunter up if he didn't promise.

Now, there were signs of a demon infestation in a town in Oklahoma and Castiel had brought back information that one of the higher ranked demons was running the show. Only a person pure of heart could kill the demon and that wasn't any one of them. Castiel pointed out that the anger in their hearts made them less pure. Dean came back with only if Sam was with them his heart wouldn't be full of anger, after he let his baby brother have it for worrying them for so long. Bobby sighed since it didn't seem as though they would be able to kill the demon after all. The best they could hope for was to exorcise it back to hell.

They agreed to take the Impala and packing it would be a breeze since Dean never really unpacked in the first place. Castiel wanted to ride along with them since he was worried about Dean and wanted to keep a very close eye on his friend. Dean just shrugged and let the other two have their way. It took just a few hours prep before they were on their way to Fairmont, Oklahoma.

Bobby went over what they knew of Fairmont. It was a rural community that had two railroad lines running through it. The town was lightly populated so the hunters knew that the demons could take it over easily. What Dean didn't like was that most of the roads were gravel and he shuddered to think of what that would do to his baby's paint job.

SWSWSSWSWSWSWSWSW

Father Vincent told the boys he was going with them to Fairmont, something about a pure hearted man being the only one able to kill the head demon. The four agreed since they really liked their father figure and they knew he would have followed them if they hadn't agreed. Vincent, they knew, was stubborn as a mule when he got something stuck in his brain.

Originally, they were going to take the RV because of the feelings of Mid America on alternative lifestyles. It was getting better but the hunters didn't want to push the envelope. With Vincent going with, they would have to rent couple of motel rooms. Vincent knew of their unorthodox sleeping arrangement and it didn't faze him at all. He knew the boys would get a room with two kings in it, and then they would push them together so that all four would be sleeping together. Jerry explained it to Vincent that Sam had nightmares if he slept alone or with just one other person. They found that if all three slept with him, Sam would get a nightmare-less sleep. Jerry also told Vincent that Sam had tried medication for his nightmares but nothing helped except their sleeping arrangement. When Vincent asked how Jerry and Roger did "it" with the others there, Jerry said matter-of-factly that if they wanted to make love, they had another bedroom in their apartment just for that. Otherwise, no hanky-panky on the job or in their bedroom. Vincent was impressed with the sacrifices that Jerry, Roger, and Leo made for their baby brother.

When they got to Fairmont, they rented a couple of motel rooms like Vincent knew they would. One had two singles, the other had two kings, and they were connecting rooms. Vincent was set up in the room with the singles. Since the motel was small, he should have expected the call from the front desk asking if he wouldn't mind sharing with another man. It seemed as though the motel had only one room left and three men checked in. Vincent was gracious and said he would be fine sharing. Five minutes later, a man with black hair and vivid blue eyes knocked on his door. What surprised Vincent was that an Angel needed a room for the night.

Castiel was surprised and pleased to find out he would be sharing a room with a priest. He hoped that they could have some philosophical talks, the kind that was relaxing and enjoyable to him. He liked finding out what other people believed in even if he couldn't set them straight. He did try, though, but people clung onto their beliefs like a raft in an open ocean.

Vincent opened the door wider and invited his new roommate in, "Would you like some refreshments? I have water, coffee or tea."

Castiel thought then said, "I would prefer tea."

"Please sit down and I'll get it. I have some hot water already and it won't take long. Would you like some cookies?"

"Yes, please," answered the Angel politely.

While Vincent got the water, tea bag, sugar, lemon, honey, creamer, and cookies ready, Castiel looked around the room. He was surprised to find out that the priest was a hunter and after the same demons he and his friends were. Vincent surprised him again. When he brought the refreshments, he excused himself and went to get a basin filled with warm water and a towel. He then proceeded to wash Castiel's face and hands in an age-old gesture of hospitality. Cas, remembering visiting Lot with his brother Jophiel, blessed the priest in Enochian.

Vincent responded by saying, "Thank you for your blessing but it is not necessary for common courtesy."

"In this age, there is no such thing as common courtesy," quipped Castiel.

Vincent grinned and before he said anything else, there was a knock at the connecting door. Vincent went to answer it and Leo was standing there. "We are going to the bar for a bit. Did you want to come or do you want us to pick something up for you?"

"I'm fine but let me find out if my roommate wants anything," answered Vincent. He turned towards Castiel and asked, "Would you like to go to the bar with my friends or would you like them to pick you something up?"

Cas said, "I'm going to be meeting a couple of friends at the bar. I could go with your friends if they wouldn't mind."

Vincent turned back to Leo whose eyes were large. Vincent wondered what was going on but remembering his manners, he asked, "Would that be all right?"

Leo took a deep breath and said, "Yes."

SWSWSSWSWSWSWSWSW

Leo was officially freaked. He just met a man straight out of his dreams. Unfortunately these dreams were more on the lines of nightmares. Last night, he dreamt that he and three of his brothers were looking for their younger brother. He had been caught in an argument between Lucifer and Michael (how he knew this was beyond him). When Leo and the others finally found him, Chamuel (again how he knew this was a mystery) had been tortured. Leo tried to approach him but Chamuel whimpered and moved away. Finally, they had to surround the poor Angel before Diniel could even get close enough to gather him in his arms. Chamuel had been very badly injured. Leo's dream continued to where he and his brothers brought Chamuel home. They tried to keep Castiel from seeing his brother in such a condition but the little Angel insisted on being with him. He cried at the injuries that had been inflicted on Chamuel.

Now Leo was confronted by one of his dream people. He knew Castiel and he knew he was an Angel. The Angel of Thursday to be exact. Pressure built in his head and he grabbed it. Groaning he bent over. Castiel went to the man, concerned at his pain. He had only seen Sam Winchester do that when he had a vanquished a demon with his mind. Putting his hand on the man he got a shock. Pulling his hand back as the man straightened he looked into Leo's eyes. Then Leo startled him by saying, "Long time, no see little brother."

"Leo! I thought you were dead," cried Castiel.

"Not dead. Just born into a human body," responded Leo.

"Why? Why did you leave me? I was so lonely when you left," stated Castiel. He was getting very pissed about being abandoned.

"I went to look for Chamuel. You remember how hurt he was and how he disappeared?"

"Yes," was the cautious answer.

"We were sent to find him and help him. We did find him but his psyche is still damaged and he can be very dangerous."

"We?"

"We as in myself, Jophiel, Ramiel and Diniel, the family. You were in garrison at the time so we couldn't ask you to come otherwise we would never have left you."

"Have you found him?"

"Yes, we have. He lived with Diniel for many years but he ran before Diniel was able to reveal himself. Jophiel and Ramiel ran into him during a hunt and I found them a few months later. I am the only one who has recovered the memories so I would appreciate it if you didn't say anything. Okay?"

Castiel thought for a moment. He wanted his brothers back so badly but he remembered how damaged Chamuel had been so he agreed to Leo's request. Then he asked, "What happened to Chamuel?"

Leo knew his brother needed information to help keep Chamuel safe from Lucifer and Michael so he told him, "When Chamuel disappeared, it was because a fallen Angel had kidnapped him on Lucifer's order. Lucifer has always wanted Chamuel to choose him so he caused Chamuel to be born into the body of his vessel. To combat Lucifer, Diniel was born into Michael's vessel. It was done to protect Chamuel and worked great for years until the Diniel made a deal. That deal was the reason Chamuel went a tad bit insane. He couldn't stand being away from the only protection he had. The human side chose the only way he could see to get his brother back and kill the one who had hurt Diniel."

Leo watched as his brother made the connections. It took Cas only a couple of seconds to figure out where Chamuel and Diniel were. "Sam and Dean Winchester! Why couldn't I sense their Graces?"

"To keep Chamuel safe, Diniel suppressed their Graces at his birth. We hoped that Lucifer would have lost interest but since Azazel fed the infant his blood, we know that is not true," answered Leo.

Leo remembered that Vincent was in the room still. Looking at his stunned friend he said, "I trust you Vincent. Please don't reveal what you heard tonight."

Vincent just nodded and then sat heavily on his bed. He had a lot to think about.

Leo smiled at him then ushered Castiel into the next room where his brothers were. Sam looked up at Castiel who smiled at him. Then watched in horror as Sam fell over in a faint.

Roger ran to him and began to chafe his wrists while Jerry asked, "What the hell just happened?"

Leo sighed and rolled his eyes. It was going to be a very long night.

Chapter Three-Broken But Repairable

It took a while before they could rouse Sam but when they did, they wished he was still unconscious. He looked at his brothers and curled into a ball, whimpering. Every time someone got close to him, he would move away. Finally, Leo told Castiel to go get Dean. He said that Chamuel got his memories back and, unlike it had been for him, it was very traumatic. When Cas left the room, Leo revived his brothers' memories so they could help. Castiel came back in a few minutes with Dean. Before Dean could say anything, Leo went to him and with a press of fingers on Dean's forehead, released his memories. Diniel saw Chamuel curled in a ball and went to him.

"Shh, little brother, we'll help you," he said softly.

Chamuel curled tighter and started to cry softly. A knock on the connecting door startled the five Angels and Jophiel went to answer it. Vincent stood there and said, "Maybe I can help?"

Jophiel nodded and let Vincent in. Vincent took in the sight of a 6'4" man…er Angel curled into an impossibly small ball and carefully went to him. "Samuel, er Chamuel can you understand me?"

A hesitant nod was given then Vincent went on, "Do you remember what we talked about? How you are not to blame for many things?"

Again the nod came. Vincent sat down next to the trembling ball and went on, "What happened to you was not your fault. You had no control over your brothers then or now. Be at peace my son."

Tears still came from Chamuel's eyes but Vincent could see that the Angel was calming down. "You are loved by your brothers. They have been looking out for you since you were born to a human body. Diniel has been with you all your human life. The others are here too. I'm here and we won't let anything happen to you. Do you understand?"

The nod was seen and the body started to uncurl. Diniel smiled his thanks before taking his little brother in his arms. Moving to the beds, he laid Chamuel down and laid next to him. Jophiel/Jerry, Ramiel/Roger and Castiel did the same. Leo took Vincent's arm and led him over to lay down with the Angels. Surrounded by his family, Chamuel closed his eyes.

SWSWSSWSWSWSWSWSW

Six Angels and a priest walk into a bar…when Vincent thought about it, it sounded like a joke. At the sound of a laugh, he turned around and saw Chamuel laughing. The others looked at him and laughed themselves. It was good to have their brother back.

It had taken an hour's nap before Chamuel woke up feeling better. Vincent remembered what Jerry (it was easier for him to remember their human names) had said about Sam needing to sleep with the three of them. Now he knew it had been part of a healing process. Dean revealed that when they were kids, he and Sam used to sleep in the same bed. He said that their Graces would come together in a way that would heal the hurts Chamuel had suffered at the hands of their brothers. It had taken years of love and slow healing to get this far he said. There was still a lot of healing to do but with family support, Chamuel would finally be healed.

Jerry said that family to them meant those closest to them and that included Vincent and an older hunter named Bobby Singer. Roger went on to explain that while all Angels were brothers and sisters, only those closest to each other would call themselves family, no matter rank or job. These families had their own slice of heaven that they called home.

When Vincent had asked why Lucifer and Michael were so interested in Chamuel, Leo sighed then asked, "Do you know what his name means?"

Vincent answered, "Doesn't it mean He Who Finds God?"

"Our names can also be our function and in Chamuel's case that is exactly what he can do. Also, as an Archangel, he is very powerful. So coupled with his gift of finding our Father he is a wanted commodity. He is also the center of our family. Where his loyalties are given, then ours follow. You have three Archangels, a Guardian Angel, and two Warrior Angels in front of you and it is a very powerful combination. Is it any wonder then that they want to get their hands on Chamuel," Leo said.

"Torture seems to be a very funny way to win someone's loyalty," groused Vincent.

Dean laughed shakily and said, "They got a bit angry that he wouldn't commit to either one of them. He said his loyalties lay with our Father and Him alone. Neither brother liked his answer."

Vincent thought of those revelations while they walked to the bar. When they went in, Dean spotted his friend and, with Castiel's help, dragged Sam over to him. Vincent watched with amazement when the man first called Sam an idjit, hit him with a ball cap then gave him a huge hug. Vincent could tell the man loved Sam and that Sam's leaving had hurt him terribly.

Jerry led the way to their brothers and stood waiting to be introduced. Sam did the honors and said, "Bobby, these are my friends Jerry, Roger, Leo and Vincent. We've been hunting together for a year now. Guys, this is Bobby Singer. He is the man I told you about, the one who is like a father to me and my brother."

Bobby shook their hands and then sat on a chair. He invited the others to sit down but only Vincent took him up on the invite. Dean wandered over to the pool table and the others went to the jukebox. Putting in some money and selecting music was left to Leo. Then he went to the others and they began to dance. Bobby watched in awe as the group moved so fluidly. Vincent smiled when he saw Bobby's expression. He leaned over and said, "I've seen Jerry and Leo dance before. That's how they make their money. Roger is a nurse and Samuel works at an assisted living complex."

Bobby finally let his questions come out, "How do you know Sam?"

"Leo, Jerry and Roger brought him to me for some counseling. I've worked with hunters before and they knew I would be able to help. I've been their friend and confidante ever since," Vincent answered.

"Are you a hunter?"

"No, I had been at one time but I found a higher calling," said Vincent.

"Huh?"

Vincent laughed then let the man off the hook, "I'm a priest. Been for twenty years."

Bobby's eyebrows went up under his hat.

The two men went back to watching the boys dancing. Dean took Leo on in a game of pool and found to his delight that Leo could hold his own. They were having a nice, relaxing evening when a couple of men decided they didn't like what they saw. The men went over to the dancers and pushed Sam.

"We don't like your kind here," growled one of the men. Dean and Leo moved to help. They weren't worried about Sam getting hurt but him killing the men. Chamuel was still fragile and they knew from experience that it wouldn't take much for him to lash out. All they had to do was to remember Vesuvius erupting and wiping out Pompeii and Herculaneum. Roger stepped between the two combatants and quietly said, "Christo." He knew what they were but needed to warn the humans in their family.

Both residents' eyes turned black as they flinched at the name of God. Castiel quietly came up behind them and, placing his hands on the men's heads, he exorcised them. The rest of the bar came alive as other demons showed themselves. Leo and Diniel flew to Bobby and Vincent's sides to keep them safe while their brothers battled the demons. Chamuel ducked a knife that one demon thrust towards him. Eyes blazing, he put his hand on the demon's head and killed it. Jophiel and Ramiel were busy with a couple more demons while Castiel battled the bartender. When the dust cleared, there were ten dead demons on the floor.

Bobby's eyes were huge as he took in the wings showing on the six men. His eyes got even larger when he started to count the amount of wings on each man. Roger, Jerry and Sam all had six wings, while Dean, Castiel and Leo had two.

"What the hell is going on?" demanded Bobby.

Vincent explained to his new friend what Leo, Jerry and Roger had told him. When it was all said, Bobby just said, "Damn, I knew there was something more than that demon going after the boys and their daddy. It makes sense now. Wait, if they're Angels how come they stole, had sex and did other things you church men would consider sins?"

Vincent thought for a moment then replied, "I think that it's because they were born human without their angelic memories. They became human in most ways especially when it came to survival. After they told me what they were and knowing their histories, I started to believe that what they all went through was due to their fallen brethren. I believe that it was Lucifer's way of trying to corrupt them but he had forgotten that forgiveness when asked for is given."

Bobby was thoughtful then said, "Makes sense." He then looked at the mess and said to the Angels, "You boys better clean up. Make sure you salt and burn these bodies."

"Yes, Bobby," chorused five voices. Sam, though, just stared at the bodies and began to tremble from the aftermath of adrenaline. Dean noticed his brother's distress and slowly approached him. He remembered what happened after a slaughter of demons during the Boxer Rebellion and didn't want a repeat.

"Sammy, you okay?" asked Dean softly.

Samuel nodded then took a deep breath. He looked up to see Dean's concerned green eyes and he smiled shakily. He didn't like that he had made a brother worry about him again. Dean could see that Sam was still distressed so he wrapped his arms and wings around his brother. Sam leaned against his brother and took comfort in the healing Dean offered. Seeing that, Jerry, Roger, and Leo nudged their brother to the pair. Castiel went gladly to his brothers and also offered comfort. The other three cleaned up the bar; the bodies salted and burned out back.

When they finished cleaning the bar of demons, the group went back to the motel and ended up in the same room that Sam had checked into with his brothers. Dean sat Sam down and proceeded to sit next to him. Sam leaned into Dean then Cas sat next to his brothers, relishing the closeness he hadn't had since their family broke up. Jerry, Roger and Leo crowded around their brothers while Bobby and Vincent brought chairs to sit in front of the Angels. Both Sam and Dean sighed, having recognized Bobby's "I want some answers" posture from the past. They both realized there was no getting away from telling the truth, the man was infuriating because he knew most, if not all, of their tells.

"Well?" was all the older hunter asked.

"Um…well…you see," stumbled Sam. He couldn't go on so he looked at Dean to tell their story since he remembered more than Sam did anyway.

"Bobby," Dean started. He had a hard time trying to get the words out himself. The story was just too painful for him to tell so Leo took over.

"We know that Vincent had told you that we are Angels. That when our brothers were fighting that they wanted us to choose between them and Chamuel said that our loyalties belonged to our Father. You were told that Chamuel was tortured to madness when they were…upset…about his answer. What you don't know is how injured he was. They had…" Leo couldn't go on. Tears gathered in his eyes as he remembered how damaged his brother had been. Chamuel's wings took a very long time to heal from being almost torn away from his body. Lucifer had used an Angelic blade to cut their brother just enough to hurt but not to kill, over and over again. Chamuel's arms and legs looked as though they had been saturated with Holy Oil and set on fire. His back was torn from being whipped. Even with all the physical torture he went through, it was the mental torture that Michael had put him through that was the worst. Chamuel never said what was done to him but his brothers knew that it was horrific, judging from the insanity he suffered from.

Seeing the pain in the Angels' faces, Bobby held up a hand to stop them from talking. He looked at the brothers and saw how they crowded around Sam, protecting him from anything that may happen. "First thing we need to talk about is how you are an important part of our family, Sam. If you ever disappear again, I'm going to hunt you down and put you over my knee!" Sam nodded with a very small smile on his face. "Do you know the hell you put us through with your little stunt? I'm happy you found your other brothers but Dean was practically suicidal and the only way I could keep him alive is to have Cas go with him on every hunt!" Sam cringed and hung his head. Dean just held his brother, feeling the anguish in his mind. "Now, that being said, I'm so damned happy to see you, boy, that I could kiss you!"

Dean grinned and quipped, "Kiss? Really?" Bobby took his cap off and hit Dean in the head with it.

"We need to get down to business and figure out how to find the demon lord," Vincent said hastily. He loved watching the interaction between the older hunter and the Winchester boys but they really had to come up with a plan to kill the demon.

As his name implied, Leo, the Angel Who Thwarts Demons, came up with a plan. He said that since the demon, who was a fallen angel, could be killed with an Angelic blade wielded by a pure-hearted human, Vincent would have to be the one to strike. This demon, whose name started with M, was very powerful and commanded the loyalties of thousands of other demons. He usually travelled with a retinue of 20 other demons who acted as his assistants. Leo proposed that four of the brothers would fight the assistants. Sam and Dean would protect the humans while they go after M. Both humans would be armed with an Angelic blade but Vincent needed to be the one to kill M as he was the one who had the pure heart. Bobby's heart was still filled with anger and grief over his wife's fate, Leo said. Bobby nodded, he knew that he was less than perfect for the job and perfect was what they needed.

Before they left the room, Vincent offered Sacraments to the men. Surprised by the four who took them, Dean also confessed to Vincent and received forgiveness. Bobby also did the same. It didn't mean they would be joining the Church but Confession, it was said, was good for the soul. Both Dean and Bobby felt better afterwards, lighthearted for the first time in a very long time. Castiel also availed himself of the Sacrament and he too felt better. The three had been weighed down because of their actions during the past few years and it felt good to know they had been forgiven of their transgressions, especially the ones they committed towards Sam. Vincent also let them know he was available any time they needed to talk. All three knew they would be taking him up on his invitation.

Chapter Four-Battles

Thanks to Sam's research, the team figured out where M was holed up. Since the demon was used to the finer things of life, he had possessed the richest man in town and killed off the family of the poor man. The team got out their weapons and gave both humans Angelic blades. The blades felt warm to the touch and Jerry explained that they were bonding with their wielders. Those blades would forever be with the humans, only needing a thought to be in their hands.

Finally, they were ready and they headed out to the home of the demon. Reaching into themselves, the Angels tapped into their powers, like they had done at the bar. Jophiel, Ramiel, Leo and Castiel spread out and systematically started to take out the patrolling demons. When the coast was clear, Chamuel and Diniel, flanking their friends, found a way into the home through a back door. Leo and Castiel went in a couple of minutes after them so they could go after any demons in the house while the other two finished with the demons outside. Since there had been twelve outside, the Angels knew that eight were in the house, guarding M.

With Diniel taking point, the four went through the back door and entered into a kitchen. Vincent saw that a meal was being prepared that consisted of parts of humans. His nose wrinkled at the thought of chitlins made of human intestines but that is what was being prepared as well as haggis made out of human organs. Bobby turned green when he realized what meat was being prepared. Chamuel stood by the inside door, waiting for the demonic cook to appear. When she did, it just took a hand on her head to kill her. Chamuel wiped his hand on his jeans then nodded to the others.

Diniel motioned that Vincent and Bobby needed to take their blades out and to be ready. As they approached the dining room, they saw two demonic guards next to the door. Chamuel's eyes grew large as he saw the hellhound each guard had next to them. He signaled to Diniel and, seeing the hounds, Diniel waved the humans back. They waited until Leo and Castiel caught up to them then they quickly formed a plan. Using blood from Leo, who would cut his hand, they would lead the guards and hounds away from the door to ambush in the kitchen. It worked well. The hounds caught the scent of Angelic blood and led the guards to the kitchen where the four were dispatched without any harm to the humans. The group smiled then went back to the dining room door.

Three down, five to go, thought Diniel. Holding up five fingers to the others, Diniel then pointed to the door. He had heard the other demons in the dining room with a victim. Chamuel wrinkled his nose at the thought of human tartar. They both looked at Leo for guidance. After thinking a bit, he came up with a plan. Cas and Leo would storm the room, going after the guards. Diniel and Chamuel would guide the two humans to M then hold the demon while Vincent killed him. Bobby would be watching their backs in case a demon had gotten past the other two Angels.

Using their power for the surprise effect, Leo and Castiel burst into the room with their wings showing and swords out. Cutting down the first two demons was easy but then the hellhounds in the room started to attack. Leo's right wing was bit by one hound while another went after his left leg. Cas stabbed both hounds but sustained injury from an attacking demon. Diniel and Chamuel brought their charges into the room, and then all hell broke loose. Seeing the blood on his brothers, Chamuel showed why his brothers were so worried about his sanity.

Eyes wide, he screamed and let his true form loose. Bobby and Vincent were shielded by Diniel against the brightness of Chamuel's Grace. The demons took one last look at the enraged Archangel before disintegrating but M was only badly hurt. Diniel knew that he needed to get the humans near the demon so Vincent could kill him. He carefully escorted the men close to the demon and Vincent stabbed towards the area of the heart, cleaving it in half. The demon roared and a red light was seen in the vessel as the demon burned from the inside.

Castiel and Leo carefully turned towards Chamuel with the purpose of calming him down but the Archangel once again backed away from them. Warning the humans to keep their eyes hidden and temporarily deafening them, Diniel joined his brothers. Jophiel and Ramiel, when seeing the flash of Grace, came running into the room to see their brother losing it.

Chamuel wildly swung his sword around, trying to keep the other Angels from hurting him. Michael's words echoing in his mind, _"Your family will turn against you, brother. They will kill you unless you choose me. I am the only one who can protect you!"_

"NO!" screamed Chamuel in his true voice. The others watched helplessly as their brother started to turn his sword to himself. Then a voice said, "Son, your brothers will never hurt you. Remember, you were lied to and hurt for choosing the right side. Dean stayed with you during your human life and died for you. When you left him, you found Jerry, Roger and Leo who cared for you, loved you. I saw how Castiel put aside his anger and grief when he finally found you." The Angels looked around and saw Vincent looking straight at Chamuel, his eyes intact.

Vincent slowly walked to Chamuel, keeping his eyes on the distressed Angel. "Your Father is so proud of you, Samuel. You have done very well and kept the faith. Let us help you heal."

Tears fell from Chamuel's eyes as he pulled his Grace back to reveal his human form. Dropping his sword, he fell to his knees and Vincent went to his side. Carefully, he pulled Sam to him while the young man sobbed. The others gathered around the two, lending their strength and healing.

SWSWSSWSWSWSWSWSW

After taking care of the bodies of the vessels and victims, the hunters went back to the motel to heal their injured. Leo was healed by Roger and Jerry while Dean took care of Castiel. Sam kept to himself, curled in a corner where the now hearing Vincent and Bobby looked after him. When the injuries were taken care of, the five Angels went to their brother and, picking him up, put him on the bed. Then they and the humans in their family all got into bed to help with Sam's healing. Even with his family surrounding him that night, Sam had nightmare after nightmare until the morning.

He remained unresponsive to any attempt to talking that the others tried. He kept crying and curling into himself. The only one who seemed to be able to get through to him was Vincent. The priest's soft voice and touches reached Sam, helping him to hold onto reality. With Sam so damaged, Bobby suggested they move him to the Salvage Yard since it was the only real home the boys had. Vincent agreed. Castiel rode with Dean, Sam and Bobby in the Impala while the others took the RV. During the trip, Sam had freaked out a few times, forcing either Dean or Cas to put him in a deep sleep. When they finally got to the Salvage Yard, the men and Angels put Sam into the familiar bedroom that he had always shared with Dean. It was the same except Jerry changed the beds to one large enough to hold all of them.

Vincent's "vacation" was ending in a couple of days but he didn't want to leave Sam in such a state. When he talked about it with Bobby, Roger overheard him. A couple of hours later, Castiel went for a walk that lasted for an hour. When he came back, Vincent received a phone call from his Bishop informing the priest of his transfer to the Sioux Falls parish, effective immediately. Vincent's eyes grew large as he thanked God and His Angels for the miracle, then he asked for a ride to gather his belongings. Roger grinned then touched Vincent and they disappeared. A few hours later, they reappeared with all of Vincent's things. Bobby took the priest to the parish where he was settled in. Vincent told Bobby that he would come out to the Salvage Yard as much as possible to help with Sam.

Roger, Jerry and Leo took the RV back home to quit their jobs and pack their belongings. Now that they found their family again, they were determined never to be parted. Leo went to Sam's boss and explained that the young man was very ill and wouldn't be coming back. Everyone at the Assisted Living complex sent Sam cards and gifts, with wishes and prayers for his return to health. They had all loved him very much. When the three of them got back, Roger found a job at the hospital. Leo and Jerry found a bar that was up for sale which they bought. It wasn't necessary for them to get jobs, but they wanted to pull their own weight. Castiel stayed next to Sam and Dean, trying to help the young man heal from his hurts.

All the while, Sam remained unresponsive to his brothers' ministrations. Vincent decided that he would have a "standing appointment" to go over to Bobby's every day so he could try to reach the young man. He knew that the physical torture was just the tip of the iceberg but the mind games that Michael had played were the worst. What little Vincent could get from Sam's ramblings told the priest that Michael had tried to instill doubts in his brother's heart. Michael had told Chamuel that their Father was disappointed in His son for leading his family down the path of damnation for not going along with Michael's plans. Michael also stressed that Chamuel's brothers' blood would be on Chamuel's hands and no one else's. Michael used the bloody images of the other Angels to torment Chamuel with their cries of pain and howls of accusations.

It was Bobby who figured out that the distant past had merged with the recent past to cause Sam to retreat as much as he had. Now, it wasn't just the images and sounds of his brothers being bloody and damned that danced in Sam's head but also all the recently dead people who had been in his life. Mary, John, Jess and all the others were also accusing him of being the reason they were dead. It was Sam's deep well of guilt that had trapped him in his mind. But even with this information, Vincent couldn't break through the wall that had Sam trapped.

Then Sam started to wander away from the Yard. It started quite suddenly and, no matter what was done to keep him indoors, Sam was able to slip out with nobody knowing it. The first time it happened, Castiel and Dean spent hours looking for him only to find him back in the bedroom looking out the window. The second time, it was Jerry and Roger who tried to find him only to see he was back in Bobby's study, reading a book. This went on for a while before they saw the changes in Sam. He began to smile, talk and do things with his brothers. He was happier than he had been in a very long time. It was a mystery as to why he had started to heal. Until Leo figured it out.

Leo finally decided to confirm his suspicions. "Hey Sam?" he asked.

Sam looked up from the book he was reading and answered, "Yeah?"

"I've been wondering about…" Leo found he couldn't go on.

"How I started to heal?" Sam knew what Leo wanted but decided to string him along a bit.

"Yeah. I mean, you had nightmares and you retreated into your own world but now it seems like you are doing better. I'd like us to take credit for your healing but I keep getting the feeling it's because of someone else. Can you tell me about what's going on when you disappear?" Leo finally got out.

Sam cocked his head. He knew that his other brothers were listening on the other side of the door, waiting for answers. Especially Dean and Cas. It wasn't fair to the others to hide what he had been up to and, besides, he hadn't been told that he couldn't tell them. So he said simply, "I've been talking to Father."

Leo smiled. He was happy his thoughts had been confirmed. "How is Father doing?"

"He is well but getting a bit angry at Lucifer and Michael. He says that they have overstepped their boundaries and need to be put in time out," Sam replied.

"Has Father been able to help you?" Leo asked.

"He said that He was very happy about what I told our brothers. He had been upset about what they did, though. He said that I was right about our loyalties belonging to Him alone. Our talks have been very healing," Sam smiled. Then he frowned, "He said that He was proud of me. Why? I haven't done anything to be proud of. In fact, I was the one who let Lucifer out in the first place."

That was enough for Dean. He entered the room and went to his brother, hugging him for all he was worth. "You were being manipulated," Dean insisted. "You didn't know who you were and they took advantage of that fact. Zachariah had been pulling your strings, so had Azazel, Ruby, Uriel, Meg and a lot of others just to get you and us to choose sides. Father is right, you know. You are someone to be proud of. You kept our family from choosing wrong, brother. You are the strongest person we know and we are also proud of you."

"Dean, chick flick moment?" Sam smirked.

Dean just rolled his eyes and hugged his brother tighter. Then he asked, "What do we do now?"

"Father wants us to keep doing what we are doing. He also wants us to help put Michael and Lucifer in the cage," Sam responded.

"How do we do that?" Leo wondered.

A voice came from the doorway, "I have an idea," Vincent said. "Have you heard of the Horsemen?"

Chapter Five-Time Out

Vincent's idea was simple but very dangerous. Sam, Dean and Cas needed to get the Horsemen's Rings and use them to open the cage door. Then they needed to push Michael and Lucifer into the cage before the door closed again. Jerry, Roger and Leo would help out with that part but Sam would be used as bait to get the two Archangels to the battlefield. Dean wasn't happy with the plan but couldn't deny the perfection of it. Vincent knew that even the best laid plans could go wrong so he made sure to pray each night that God would help them out.

Getting the rings proved to be a bit problematic. The first three Horsemen had to be "retired" and the rings cut from their fingers. Death, however, was very willing to let them borrow his, stipulating that he wanted it back when they were done. The next part was the hardest since Sam's part was very dangerous. He could also be pulled into the cage and lost to the family forever but they had gained an unexpected ally, Gabriel, who had an idea.

Chamuel needed to be in his vessel in order to lead Lucifer to the battle ground where Michael would meet him for the final battle. But, with Gabriel's help, Diniel and the others had dislodged Chamuel from his vessel enough that he was only holding on to it by a very slim thread. This condition was disguised so that Lucifer wouldn't be able to tell that Chamuel wasn't solidly in his vessel. Once the two Archangels were in place, Castiel would throw the rings down while Leo said the spell to open the door. Ramiel and Jophiel would then push the two into the door while Diniel grabbed Chamuel before he, too, was sucked into the cage. After the door closed, they would be done. Chamuel would go back Home since his vessel was in Hell with his brothers. It would be the only loss they would have and the family would once again be broken until the others went Home.

This time, luck was on their side. Lucifer was gloatingly happy that he had Chamuel under his thumb once again. He tortured his brother by killing innocents and telling Chamuel that their deaths were on his hands for not choosing him in the first place. Chamuel held onto what his Father had said and that kept him from going totally insane once again. Lucifer grew frustrated with his brother's stubbornness but he knew that he had all the time he needed to get his way with Chamuel. After torturing his brother for a while, Lucifer felt the tug from Michael to meet him in Stull Cemetery for the final battle.

Meeting his brother for the first time in many millennium, Lucifer tried to get Michael to join him but Michael said no. When they got ready to fight, the rings of the Horsemen were tossed between them while Leo chanted. The door opened and the three Angels began to fall with slight nudges from Jophiel and Ramiel. Diniel pulled Chamuel free of his vessel. The other two fell screaming into the cage and the door slammed shut.

Chamuel sat shivering in his brother's arms. He had once again been damaged but since his talks with his Father, Vincent, Bobby and his brothers, the damage wasn't too bad. Jophiel, Ramiel, Castiel and Leo all came over and surrounded him with their Graces to repair the damage. Chamuel's eyes teared. He knew that it would be a long time before he would be able to see his brothers since he couldn't stay on Earth in his true form. Castiel had said he would escort Chamuel Home but he couldn't stay there since his duties demanded that he help Gabriel to clean up Michael's mess.

But before they could leave, Vincent came out from behind a tree. "I have a surprise for you, My son," he said to Chamuel, looking straight at the Archangel. Curious, Chamuel went to the tree by Vincent. Behind it was his unconscious vessel. Chamuel looked up at Vincent who just smiled and nodded, then he reclaimed his vessel. Since he had been born into it, no permission was needed. After a couple of minutes, Sam opened his eyes and smiled at Vincent.

"Thank you Father," was all he said. God smiled and kissed His son's forehead, then a glow surrounded his vessel. Vincent fell to the ground as the glow left him.

As Sam knelt by his friend, his brothers came walking up. Their eyes got big as they saw his vessel filled with only Chamuel and no trace of Lucifer anywhere. "Uh, what just happened," Dean asked.

"Father gave me back my vessel. I think as a reward," Sam answered.

"Why is Vincent here?" Roger asked.

"He was and always will be one of Father's chosen," Sam said with a smile.

"Did you know?" Cas questioned.

"I've always known. I know all of Father's chosen," Sam replied. "Part of the job description." Smiling, he picked Vincent up and disappeared. His brothers looked at each other and shrugged, then followed Sam to Bobby's house.

Epilogue

Bobby and Vincent were having a beer after dinner. They were talking about past hunts when the sound of wings filled the air. Castiel appeared before them with a questioning look and Bobby just pointed upstairs. Cas disappeared and an exclamation of surprise was heard as Leo was pounced on by the happy Angel. It was still a shock to the humans to know that their Angelic family members were paired up and had been for a very long time. Like Roger explained, Angels didn't have sexes. It didn't matter to them if their vessels were male or female, to them love is love no matter what. Like Vincent knew from before, Roger and Jerry were partners. The humans then found out that Leo and Castiel were paired as were Sam and Dean. The last pairing was somewhat uncomfortable since they were born as brothers but soon the humans got used to it.

Bobby got tired of walking in on the couples so he asked that they confine their "activities" to certain areas of the Salvage Yard and the house. He also asked they put up a sign that those areas were "in use". Grinning, the Angels all agreed to Bobby's request but sometimes he wished that they would go somewhere on the other side of the world, since they could get loud and very bright.

Sam still met with Vincent and his Father for counseling since the damage done to him was very extensive. With his family's help, he continued to improve. He still had problems seeing one of them hurt but he didn't have another meltdown like he did in Fairmount.

The Angels kept hunting. Even though the apocalypse had been averted, there were still demons who wanted to reopen the cage. Gabriel also had his problems with some Angels also trying to restart the apocalypse but, with help, he had been able to ferret them out and send them to Hell. Every so often, he would go to the Salvage Yard and spend some time with his brothers, playing pranks and relaxing. After a while, he became part of the family, along with Balthazar and a couple of other angels who also never chose between the two warring brothers. They were welcomed warmly by the others and the bed was expanded to include the new family members. Bobby's home became Heaven on Earth for them, their Home.

God watched His children and smiled.


End file.
